We will use these terms in
this council when referencing civilian crewed vessels and these statistics when
referencing the shipping industry.

Phelps

Seafarer's professions and
ranks

From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia

Seafarers hold a variety of professions and
ranks, and each of these roles carries unique responsibilities which are
integral to the successful operation of a seafaring vessel. A ship's bridge, filled with sophisticated
equipment, requires skills differing from those used on the deck, which houses
berthing and cargo gear, which requires skills different from those used in a
ship's engine
room, and so on.

The following is only a partial listing of professions and
ranks. Ship operators have understandably employed a wide variety of positions,
given the vast array of technologies, missions, and circumstances that ships
have been subjected to over the years. A ship's crew can generally be divided
into four main categories: the deck department, the engineering department, the
steward's department, and other.

Modern ship's
complement

Captain/Master

The Captain or Master is the ship's highest responsible
officer, acting on behalf of the ship's owner. Whether the captain is a member
of the deck department or not is a matter of some controversy, and generally
depends on the opinion of an individual captain.

Deck department

Chief Officer/Chief
Mate

The Chief Officer (often called the Chief Mate in the United
States) is the head of the deck
department on a merchant
vessel, second-in-command after the ship's
Master. The Chief Mate's primary responsibilities are the vessel's cargo operations, its stability, and
supervising the deck crew. The mate is responsible for the safety and security
of the ship, as well as the welfare of the crew on board. Additional duties
include maintenance of the ship's hull, cargo gears, accommodations, the life
saving appliances and the firefighting appliances. The Chief Mate also trains
the crew and cadets on various aspects like safety, firefighting, search and
rescue, and various other contingencies.

On most vessels, the Chief Officer and First Officer (or
First Mate) are synonymous, but passenger vessels often carry a separate First
Officer who is junior to the Chief Officer.

Second Officer/Second
Mate

The Second Officer (or Second Mate) of a merchant vessel is
usually in charge of navigation and is the next licensed position above Third
Officer and below Chief Officer. The second mate typically stands the 12-4
navigation watch. That is, the Second Mate will stand watch from 1200 to 1600 at
noon and again from 0000 to 0400 in the nights. The Second Mate is typically the
navigation officer aboard a ship. The navigation officer is responsible for
maintaining the charts and navigational equipment on the bridge. The duties also
usually entail developing the voyage plans under the direction of the ship's
Master. In the United
States system, it takes 360 days of sea service as a
licensed Third Officer before one can become a Second Officer.

The other duties of this position often depend upon the type
of ship worked aboard. On oil
tankers, the second officer usually provides the
Chief Mate with assistance in tank cleaning.

Third Officer/Third
Mate

The Third Officer or Third Mate is the third officer of a
merchant vessel. The most junior officer of the ship, the Third Mate is usually
the safety officer (responsible for firefighting equipment, lifeboats, emergency
systems) and is in charge of a (bridge or cargo) watch.

Deck Cadet

A Deck Cadet (or Apprentice) is a nautical school graduate,
entitled to a seaman's book, but is not an officer-proper. The cadet must first
carry out a one-year training on board ships, executing tasks of an
officer-of-the-watch under the supervision of senior officers.

At sea an AB watchstander's duties include standing watch as helmsman and lookout. A helmsman is required to
maintain a steady course, properly execute all rudder orders and communicate
utilizing navigational terms relating to heading and steering. While the ship is
not underway, a watchstander may be called upon to stand security-related
watches, such as a gangway watch or anchor watch.

Ordinary Seaman

In the United States Merchant Marine, an
Ordinary Seaman or OS is an entry-level position in a ship's deck department. An
OS performs a variety of duties concerned with the operation and upkeep of deck
department areas and equipment. Upkeep duties include scaling, buffing, and
painting decks and superstructure; as well as sweeping and washing the deck. An
OS may splice wire and rope; break out, rig, overhaul, and stow cargo-handling
gear, stationary rigging, and running gear. Additionally, the OS secures cargo,
as well as launches and recovers boats. The OS may rig and operate hydrographic
and other specialty winches; handle and stow oceanographic explosives; and stage
and stow beach support equipment. [1]

Second Engineer/First Assistant
Engineer

The Second Engineer or First Assistant Engineer is the
officer responsible for supervising the daily maintenance and operation of the
engine department. He or she reports
directly to the Chief Engineer.

On a merchant vessel, depending on term usage, "The First"
or "The Second" is the marine
engineer second in command of the engine department
after the ship's Chief Engineer. The person holding this position is typically
the busiest engineer aboard the ship, due to the supervisory role this engineer
plays and the operations duties performed. Operational duties include
responsibility for the refrigeration systems, main engines (steam/gasturbine, diesel), and any other equipment not
assigned to the Second Assistant Engineer/Third Engineer or the Third Assistant
Engineer/Fourth Engineer(s). If the engine room requires round the clock
attendance and other junior engineers can cover the three watch rotations, this
officer is usually a "day worker" from 0630-1830.

Third Engineer/Second Assistant
Engineer

The Third Engineer or Second Assistant Engineer is junior to
the Second Engineer/First Assistant Engineer in the engine department and is
usually in charge of boilers, fuel, auxiliary engines, condensate, and feed
systems. This engineer is the third highest marine
engineer in rank. Depending on usage, "The Second"
or "The Third" is also typically in charge of fueling or bunkering, if the
officer holds a valid Person In Charge (PIC) endorsement for fuel transfer
operations.

The exact duties of this position will often depend upon the
type of ship and arrangement of the engine department. On ships with steam
propulsion plants The Second/Third is in charge of the boilers, combustion
control, soot blowers, condensate and feed equipment, feed pumps, fuel, and
condensers. On diesel and gas turbine propulsion plants,
this engineer is in charge of auxiliary boilers, auxiliary engines, incinerator, air compressors, fuel, and
fuel oil purifiers.

Fourth Engineer/Third Assistant
Engineer

The Fourth Engineer or Third Assistant Engineer is junior to
the Second Assistant Engineer/ Third Engineer in the engine department. The most
junior marine engineer of the ship, he or she is usually responsible for
electrical, sewage treatment, lube oil, bilge, and oily water separation systems.
Depending on usage, this person is called "The Third" or "The Fourth" and
usually stands a watch. Moreover, the Fourth Engineer may assist the third mate in maintaining proper
operation of the lifeboats.

Engineering
Cadet

An Engineering Cadet (or Apprentice) is a nautical school
graduate, entitled to a seaman's book, but is not an officer-proper. The cadet
must first carry out a one-year training on board ships, executing tasks of an
officer-of-the-watch under the supervision of senior officers.

The chief steward also plans menus; compiles supply,
overtime, and cost control records. The Steward may requisition or purchase
stores and equipment. Additional duties may include baking bread, rolls, cakes,
pies, and pastries.

Chief Cook

The Chief Cook[3]
directs and participates in the preparation and serving of meals; determines
timing and sequence of operations required to meet serving times; inspects
galley and equipment for cleanliness and proper storage and preparation of food.
The cook may plan or assist in planning meals and taking inventory of stores and
equipment.

A chief cook's duties may overlap with those of the
Steward's Assistant, the Chief Steward, and other Steward's Department crew
members.

Chief cooks are sometimes referred to by the nickname,
"Cookie."

Steward's
Assistant

A Steward's Assistant or SA is an entry-level crew member in
the Steward's department of a ship. This
position can also be referred to as Galley Utilityman or Messman. The role of
the SA consists mainly of cleaning and assisting with the preparation and
serving of meals.